Feb 6, 2019 - Wonderful Greece.....

Had pretty good weather when we returned from Corfu. On the weekend we drove around the island, Levkas – stunning, even when overcast. The west coast is lovely, the waters emerald green and lined with beautiful mountains covered with pine forests. Went back to Corfu for a few days to stay on our new boat – yes we have another boat – this one for blue water cruising. More on that later, especially as the Brexit outcome / result dictates a lot of what comes next. Having the car is great, we spent last weekend travelling around on the...

Jan 25, 2019 - Winter in Lefkada

Following beautiful weather we had some significant snow fall on the mountains on the mainland and even on the higher ground of the island. Very pretty sight. January 2019 Kali Khronia This is the first year in many that Gen and I managed to see the new year in. Didn’t attend the new years eve party in Porto but went on deck and lit some sprarklers and saw the odd firework go off – no major display. Hired a car for a few weeks and have been out looking at boats. Had a lovely drive to Igoumenitsa a long the coastal route and then inland for...

Jan 10, 2019 - Santorini

When the boat arrived in Santorini harbour, I was overwhelmed by the reception of both humans and animals! The donkeys descended thick and fast down some of the steepest terrain I have ever seen, rushing to meet the ferry and haul the load of tourists up the steep steps to the town perched on the rocks above. Santorini is a submerged volcano that erupted eons ago, leaving a caldera behind. Its steep rock faces are covered with whitewashed villas clinging to the rock face like vines on a brick wall. There is a tradition in Santorini of...

Dec 24, 2018 - Winter in the Ionian

November 2018 The weather has been amazing – and it’s November. Lovely warm days with temperatures around 20C – its such a shame to be in the marina. Although there have been the odd severe thunderstorms whipping up the wind. Luckily we don’t have boats on one side of us so have commandeered a second lazy line (which helps reduce the amount of leaning we do onto our neighbour Neil). The liveaboard community here is quite active – Knit and Natter on Tuesdays, Wacky Walkers on Sundays, there’s line dancing classes as well as Latin dancing...

Dec 9, 2018 - Naxos

Naxos is a bigger island than Paros and much larger than Antiparos. I found a lovely little room in a four-plex which even has a communal fridge and a tiny balcony overlooking a rather overgrown garden. Every morning I would wander into the village to buy fresh bread and watermelon for my breakfast -- heaven! I've explored the island on foot, following the rutted roads and pathways that criss-cross the island. Olive groves with lounging goats and sheep are everywhere and the air has a rich, dusty smell to it. I am so totally relaxed after...

Nov 13, 2018 - Athens, Greece

@@@@@@@ KAPOORS ON THE ROAD It had been a long time coming, and now everything worked out like clockwork. When we told my sister and her husband that we would be visiting Cyprus for the last two weeks of November, after roaming around Europe for six weeks, they jumped at the chance to meet up with us. They have just started their own retirement travels adventures, and spent several weeks in Spain. We decided it might be best to meet up in Athens and fly together to Larnaca. They arrived in Athens a few days earlier so they could see the...

Nov 13, 2018 - Kerameikos Ancient Cemetery in Athens

Keramiekos Cemetery is just outside the walls that bordered the ancient city of Athens. Here lay the prominent citizens who were honoured with a burial at public expense. Thus, their tombs and markers were far above the norm. For this reason, many of the relics are now in Athens’ premier archaeology museum. Even so, the small Kerameikos museum houses a handful of beautiful originals. Also, full-scale replicas of the museum pieces are placed in-situ, giving visitors a true sense of the layout and scale of this important historical cemetery....

Nov 12, 2018 - A Sprinkling of Egypt in Greece

As a fan of Egyptian religion/mythology I was pleasantly surprise to find a small gallery of Egyptian artifacts in a Greek museum. So, here’s some history that provides context as to why it exists. When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BC the priests of the Egyptian god Amun “recognized” him to be a son of the god. He founded the city Alexandria in 331 BC, and he made Greek the official language. After him, Greeks ruled over Egypt until the death of the last Queen Cleopatra VII - who was a Greek herself - in 30 BC. She’s the...

Nov 12, 2018 - Greece’s National Archaeological Museum

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the greatest museums in the world and contains the richest collection of artifacts from Greek antiquity worldwide. During World War II the museum was closed and the antiquities were sealed in special protective boxes and buried, in order to avoid their destruction and looting. (Source - Wikipedia) It was both exhilarating and exhausting...

Nov 11, 2018 - Athens’ Authentic Marathon

We were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves in Athens for the 36th Authentic Athens marathon race and were further pleased to discover that the route would pass just a quarter block from our digs. We were there right after breakfast, and in time to watch the front runners - who finished last year’s race in the 2:12:17 to 2:28:57 time - as they passed the 40 km mark of the 42.195 km race. Seeing my first marathon in its founding city was special. The atmosphere was quite festive what with drumming, rock bands, support teams, volunteers,...

Nov 11, 2018 - The Athenian Agoras - Where Democracy Was Born

Following our Marathon experience and after a delicious lunch of souvlaki and salad we carried on with our history lessons. We first visited the site of the 1st c BC Roman Agora. Built to house Athen’s commercial activities, it was financed by Julius Caesar and then Augustus Caesar. The only significant building still standing on the site is the octagonal Tower of Winds. Also known as the Clock of Kyrrestos, the building is considered to be the first the meteorological station in the world. It features relief figures of the eight wind...

Nov 10, 2018 - Athens’ Ancient Acropolis and its Modern Museum

The rocky hilltop in Athens known as the Acropolis has been inhabited since the Neolithic Era (3500-3000 BC). The iconic buildings at the top, however, were not built until 500 BC, what is known Classical (Greek) Period. These buildings (Parthenon, Erechtheion, Temple of Athena Nike, Propylaea) served a variety of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other leaders/people. Contrary to my assumptions that the ruins - as in bits and pieces - were from ancient times, the buildings of the Acropolis actually withstood centuries of decay,...